Evolution of devices: prospects for growth, interest in sustainability and the rise of AI

This report is available to those subscribed to the Digital Consumer module.
Having been under significant pressure for the last few years, sales of smartphones are recovering. Against this backdrop, understanding how consumer behaviour with devices is changing (and why) is crucial to prepare for the next phase of device innovation and growth.
In GSMA Intelligence’s latest survey, conducted in August 2024, consumers across 12 countries were asked a range of questions on devices. The survey covered 1,000 consumers in each market.
This report explores consumer behaviour with devices across areas such as smartphone ownership and replacement rates, smartphone brand loyalty, preferred sales channel for smartphones, purchase drivers, interest in refurbished devices, and ownership of wearables and smart home devices. It also considers how advanced AI such as generative AI is being positioned to be the new differentiator for consumer devices.
To illustrate the themes explored, the analysis provides operator case studies for Deutsche Telekom, e& and Telefonica.
Related research
AI inference in practice: choosing the right edge
As AI adoption grows, inferencing will accelerate, raising questions about workload processing and business benefits. This analysis examines how running AI workloads on the edge can deliver improved outcomes.
Capitalising on smartphones as the leading digital playground: five priority areas for OEMs
Today, smartphones are the leading digital playground. According to our consumer survey, almost 80% of smartphone users consume digital entertainment services, including video, music and games, on a weekly basis. How can smartphone OEMs capitalise on the prime position that their devices have in digital services consumption? In this report we lay out the five key areas here that smartphone OEMs should focus on. These include implementing bundling strategies, leveraging tech and network advances, and identifying the prime consumer segments for digital services.
AI inference in practice: time is money
As AI adoption grows, inferencing will accelerate, raising the question of where workloads will be processed and how they translate into business benefits. This analysis examines AI on the near edge in distributed telco data centres, with Kinetica highlighted as an example.
Authors
How to access this report
Annual subscription: Subscribe to our research modules for comprehensive access to more than 200 reports per year.
Enquire about subscriptionContact our research team
Get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis.
Contact our research teamMedia
To cite our research, please see our citation policy in our Terms of Use, or contact our Media team for more information.
Learn moreRelated research
AI inference in practice: choosing the right edge
As AI adoption grows, inferencing will accelerate, raising questions about workload processing and business benefits. This analysis examines how running AI workloads on the edge can deliver improved outcomes.
Capitalising on smartphones as the leading digital playground: five priority areas for OEMs
Today, smartphones are the leading digital playground. According to our consumer survey, almost 80% of smartphone users consume digital entertainment services, including video, music and games, on a weekly basis. How can smartphone OEMs capitalise on the prime position that their devices have in digital services consumption? In this report we lay out the five key areas here that smartphone OEMs should focus on. These include implementing bundling strategies, leveraging tech and network advances, and identifying the prime consumer segments for digital services.
AI inference in practice: time is money
As AI adoption grows, inferencing will accelerate, raising the question of where workloads will be processed and how they translate into business benefits. This analysis examines AI on the near edge in distributed telco data centres, with Kinetica highlighted as an example.
- 200 reports a year
- 50 million data points
- Over 350 metrics